1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multisectioned surgical tables, and more particularly to a surgical table having a movable section mounted in the back section of the patient support surface for positioning portions of the patient's body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional surgical tables have multisectioned patient support surfaces which can be articulated to provide a range of positions relative to each other for anatomically posturing a patient's body according to the surgical procedure to be performed. A five-sectioned surgical table is available which includes a head section, a back section, a lumbar section, a femoral section and a foot section. The lumbar section is advantageous in enhancing the range of anatomical contours the table surface can assume. For example, the lumbar section provides added support and lifting capability for the patient's lower abdominal, pelvic and lumbar regions. Five-sectioned surgical tables are, however, more complicated to manufacture, and therefore, more costly to the purchaser.
Four-sectioned surgical tables are also available; these tables have a larger back section, eliminating the separate lumbar section. The four-sectioned surgical tables are less costly but do not provide the positioning capabilities of the five-sectioned tables which include the lumbar section.
Accessories, such as separate kidney bridges and pelvic rests, can be used with the four-sectioned tables to improve anatomical posturing. U.S. Pat. Nos. 859,696; 870,324; 2,926,660 and 4,398,707 disclose means for supporting the abdomen, pelvis or lumbar regions of a patient but, because they are static devices, fall short of providing the range of positioning capabilities afforded by the five-sectioned table with an articulating lumbar section. The means disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,660 is movable along a vertical axis but does not provide the variety of anatomical contours required by some surgical procedures.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device which will provide a range of adjustable positions for supporting the pelvic, lumbar and abdominal portions of a patient's body, without the complexity of structure which contributes to increased costs. There is a further need for such a device which can be integrally incorporated into a surgical table having a back section and at least one adjacent pivoting section.